Ten days and a little Luck
by Nicia
Summary: In some ways, being attacked and left for dead was a stroke of luck. Without it, I don't know where I'd be right now. But I do know that I wouldn't have him – Dimitri. My soul mate. My lover. Rated M for dark themes and eventual naughty times. HEA? Of course!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: ****Ten days and a little… luck.**

**Written for: Drabble War Challenge #2, Prompt/Lucky Challenge #2** **to be posted on 3rd March 2012.**

**Written By: Nicia**

**Rating: M**

**Prompt used: Luck/Lucky.**

**Summary: **In some ways, being attacked and left for dead was a stroke of luck. Without it, I don't know where I'd be right now. But I do know that I wouldn't have him – Dimitri. My soul mate. My lover. Rated M for dark themes and eventual lemons. HEA, of course!

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><p><strong>This drabble is dedicated to the FABULOUS Mandy52799. Mandy you are amazing and have my everlasting thanks and gratitude. You've made me some beautiful banners, allowed me to adopt some equally awesome ones and given me tons of advice! You helped me out with my very botched attempt at a Twilight fanfiction, and I promise that someday, someway, it will be reader worthy and posted up for you. Thank you so much for all of your help. I hope you enjoy this!<strong>

**A.N. **The banner for this (also made by the fab Mandy) is on fb. Check out my photos or the Drabble War Forum. They also have a community here on ffn, so check that out! In this fic, Dimitri is a dhampir, and Rose is a moroi. There is still the age gap, but they're not the same ages as in the books, and do not know each other beforehand.

**I will be posting three chapters in every one update so that this fic isn't overly long. Links to all the information used should be on my profile.**

**WARNING: **This fic has dark themes. Though it does not go into graphic detail and should not upset anyone, do not read if you're highly sensitive to the subject of rape. However, as my long-term readers should know, I'm a fluff and romance lover, so a **HEA** is guaranteed. I have taken artistic license in some places, because otherwise this fic would be a thousand chapters long. So please, no flames about her recovery time being unrealistic etc… Just enjoy!

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><p><em>Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered. ~William Shakespeare<em>

**Chapter One.**

_Pain_.

It ripped through the lower half of my body, paralysing, agonising… deadly.

_Laughter._

They thought it was funny. Watching me try to push them off with feeble arms, with aching legs that didn't want to co-operate.

_Blood_.

It trickled from a cut in my head, and from the scrapes on my body. And from another source, deeper, richer, more dangerous.

_Taunts._

They filled my ears. Cruel and lewd suggestions as they sated themselves. Broke me apart and then left me there.

_Empty_.

And dirty. Inside and out. Dirt covered my body, but their touch coated me on the inside.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two.<strong>

"Miss, can you hear me?"

A bright light shines in my eyes as the deep voice soothes my ears.

I blink, and the light moves away as strong hands carefully press against the nape of my neck and move down, along either side of my spine.

"Spinal cord intact. Slight swelling and possible concussion…" My world fades to black again and the voice disappears.

I wake up, to a bright light shining in my eyes _again_.

Slow, steady beeps register in my mind, but they don't really have an impact, just… fade away.

I don't know what's wrong with me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Three.<strong>

There's a man leading the front of my stretcher.

He's incredibly tall, and I can tell from the set of his shoulders he's not happy.

He's a dhampir, a guardian, and I never really realised just how strong or fast they were until the person who lifted the bottom end of my stretcher lost their grip, and he managed to grab a hold of me.

Pain had ripped through my abdomen and as I'd cried out, anguish crossed his features before he glared at the other guardian.

He has beautiful eyes.

Dark, chocolate brown, they pierce straight to my soul.

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><p><strong>So, thoughts...<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed these first three chapters, and the next update will be as soon as I wake up later on today.**


	2. Chapter 2

**WOW! I was _not _expecting the level of response chapter 1 got, so thank you very much to everyone who read, reviewed, favourite and/or alerted!**

**Hehe, a couple of points came up in the reviews that I should have cleared at the beginning. **

Firstly, I'm **NOT** mixing characters from Twilight and Vampire Academy! I cannot write Twilight to save my life. The lead male character in the VA books is Dimitri, and the lead female is Rose. That's the pairing I 'ship' and who all my stories are about.

Secondly, this is a drabble and I've been strict with myself, so each chapter is exactly 100 words. However, there are 37 separate chapters in total. Because I don't have the time to upload 37 chapters, I've grouped them so there are 3 in each update. The final update will be 1 chapter, not 3, but it will be a lot longer than all the previous updates. (So not exactly a drabble :P)

**Mavebelikova – hehe, thank you!**

**Now that's all cleared up, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four.<strong>

I remember now.

The man with the soothing voice and compassionate eyes leaves when Lissa bursts into the hospital room, her eyes wide and her cheeks streaked with tears as she catches sight of me.

I went to Lissa's for dinner.

It had been her and Christian's fifth wedding anniversary, and she was teasing me because I was adamant that I was never going to settle down.

Eddie couldn't make it, which I was glad about; because lately all we seem to do is argue.

We ate.

Talked a bit.

Then I left to go home.

And _they_ found me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Five.<strong>

Lissa apologises repeatedly as she holds my hand, the warmth from her skin slowly warming my own.

She's sorry for not offering to walk with me.

For not being adamant that Christian drive me home, despite my protests that I'd be fine.

She cries, but her tears don't help me to release the terror that's slowly choking me on the inside.

Her sadness only serves to deepen the ache inside my body, until it becomes too much, and I have to pull away from her, whimpering as I try to curl up into a ball and pain explodes once again.

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><p><strong>Chapter Six.<strong>

They offer me the morning after pill, and I take it.

I don't agree with abortion, but at the same time, I know I'm not in a stable position to have a baby.

So I swallow it down, because I don't know if I am pregnant. So, it's not really abortion if I don't know if I am… is it?

And if I'm not, well, it's just a precaution.

They mention counselling, but I turn that down straightaway.

I want to forget about what happened three days ago, not talk about it constantly.

The pain fades slowly.

The nightmares don't.

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><p><strong>So there was the second update. Poor Rose...<strong>

**The third will be up in a few hours. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, thank you all for the love you're showing this story! I was very nervous when this storyline entered my head, but you've all responded amazingly and I can't thank you enough. :)**

**Lot's of sympathy for poor Rose. Let's see if she's doing any better...**

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven.<strong>

Dimitri is the name of the guardian who found me.

He's the same one who carried the front half of my stretcher, and caught me before my body hit the ground.

I find his name out when he consoles me for the fourth night in a row, when I sob and shake and fight in my sleep against a violator who isn't there.

He's so huge, so powerful… I should feel threatened and scared in his presence.

But I don't.

I feel secure and safe as he breaks protocol and hugs me close, murmuring _something_ in Russian that calms me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight.<strong>

I'm released from hospital a few days later, and I find myself standing a few steps away from the entrance at a loss.

I don't know what to do, or where to go.

I haven't told anyone that they were letting me out.

I stare down the street, vulnerability clear to see across my face.

I want to go home, but it's the last place I truly want to be. I live alone, and although it's not the place where I was r- I can't say the word – attacked, I _need_ to feel someone with me.

Someone I can trust.

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine.<strong>

Tears clog in my throat as I contemplate calling Lissa.

But she'd only fuss, and right now, I can't be around fake smiles and worried glances behind my back.

I don't want pitied looks shared between friends as they're careful not to mention E- him, or anything associated with that night.

I don't want continual hugs, or to be talked down to, as though _that_ affected my intelligence.

I turn back towards the hospital, wondering if they'll let me stay another night if I beg enough.

And then Dimitri exits for the night, his questioning gaze meeting mine immediately.

"Roza?"

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><p><strong>Still a bit angsty, but things are looking up :) <strong>

**Next update in a couple of hours, and we'll find out what happens with these two.**

**What do you think they'll do?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Ten.**

His flat is simple, yet striking, kind of how I expected it to be.

I'm not supposed to be here, something about being 'a patient' and 'breaking rules', but right now I don't care, and I don't think Dimitri does either.

He's kind like that, and genuine.

Caring more for other's than he does himself.

Making sure that he's done whatever he can to make another person's life easier before he checks that his own life is satisfactory.

Like now.

I need someone to be there, but not baby me, and that's what he's done.

And I appreciate it deeply.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven.<strong>

This is nice, normal.

Dimitri cooks us dinner – bangers and mash, which is boring, but exactly what I need. Something that doesn't require extra effort to make or to eat.

He acts like it's completely natural for me to jump and freeze when a car backfires in the street outside his flat, and instead of staring worriedly; he continues to chat, whilst giving me a moment to compose myself.

"Have you ever made jam?"

I giggle and shake my head, watching curiously when he stands and holds his hand out to me.

"What are you doing?"

He grins. "Teaching you."

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve.<strong>

Have you ever been around someone who has the ability to make you forget every bad thing that's ever happened, whilst managing to bring all of your good memories to the surface?

Who makes you laugh until your stomach aches and you feel like you can't breathe – yet you don't want to stop?

Who ends up getting you to dance around the kitchen with them, and holds you close – the very thing you needed… when you didn't know you needed it?

Who alone, has the ability to light up your whole world?

Dimitri does all that to me, and more.

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><p><strong>Things are getting better and better :)<strong>

**Next update in a couple of hours xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Keeping up the fluff... Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen.<strong>

Even when we sink down onto his sofa, tired, sweaty, and covered in flecks of jam and flour from our mini food fight, I can't keep the smile off of my face.

Dimitri chuckles as he wipes at my face with a tea towel, making sure that I'm all cleaned up before he does the same to his own face.

It feels good to laugh again.

It feels good to be hopeful for the future.

And right now, even though I know it's probably not true, and I'm just letting my thoughts run wild…

It feels good to feel loved.

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen.<strong>

"Sleep well, Roza."

Despite my protests, Dimitri tucks me into bed and clicks the bedside lamp on before leaving to sleep on the sofa.

I was surprised when he handed me a long t-shirt and a pair of shorts in my size. For a moment, jealousy flared up in my chest, but I quickly squashed it down.

But then he told me about his younger sister who sometimes comes to stay.

Though right now my erratic emotions make me want to be with Dimitri, I _know_ that I'm far from being ready to even think about being in a relationship.

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen.<strong>

The next morning is very similar.

I wake up to find my clothes, freshly washed, dried and ironed, folded neatly over the chair in the corner of the room.

The smell of toast makes my stomach rumble as I pad into the kitchen to find a proper full English breakfast waiting for me on a plate as Dimitri finishes serving up his own.

"Good morning."

His smile is infectious, and I flush a little.

"Good morning." My eyes fall on the plate and my stomach rumbles again, _loudly_.

My blush deepens and my gaze flickers away as he chuckles.

"Let's eat."

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><p><strong>He's so sweet and perfect... I want a Dimitri of my very own! Hands up if you do too!<strong>

**I realised right before I posted that I'd labelled two chapters with the same number. So there are actually 38 chapters in total, but it's still the same number of chapters and updates.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Sixteen.**

Dimitri has to go to work and I…

I don't know what I have to do.

Worry wells up in me, and I think Dimitri sees it in my eyes, because he offers to take the day off work.

But I turn him down, politely.

He's already done more than enough for me. And I know guardians don't earn huge salaries, I don't want to cause his to dip even lower.

Besides, he has no reason to have to suffer for me.

I'm nothing to him.

The thought makes me slightly bitter, and I'm reserved when we say our goodbyes.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen.<strong>

I feel irrational.

I know it's because I'm in my house, alone, and that's why my fears are getting to me, but that knowledge doesn't help.

Instead I find myself rethinking and replaying every moment we've shared.

God, I sound like a cheesy romance novel.

I sound like a naïve teenager.

And look where that's gotten me so far.

Curled up in my bed, hidden underneath the covers. All the lights switched off, with the dead bolt, and the safety chain locked shut on my front door.

Because I'm scared and alone and hurting, with no one to help me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen.<strong>

The phone rings, but I don't answer it.

My house phone rings, and I leave that too.

Then someone knocks on my door, and my fear grows tenfold. They knock steadily and persistently, like they know I'm here, and nausea creeps up my spine.

Have they found me and come back to finish what they started?

To have another go?

I whimper and curl up even tighter, sobs wracking my body as I silently pray to _anyone_ who's listening, to make them go away.

"Roza?"

My head lifts, my ears straining to hear his muffled voice.

And I feel okay.

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><p><strong>There will be one more update for tonight in an hour's time. I should have had the whole fic posted today, but my time management has been terrible, so you will have another 6 updates tomorrow. <strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Nineteen.**

Dimitri practically moves into my house, and helps me to slowly but surely get my life on track.

He keeps trying to convince me to consider counselling, but I'm sure that it's the one thing I don't need.

So I take his suggestion to write a diary.

Whenever I feel too overwhelmed, it all goes down in there, in Lucky, and I can breathe more easily.

I named it that, after Dimitri. It's his nickname amongst the other guardians, because whenever he goes on a raid, things always go to plan. He's their 'lucky charm'.

And then the sickness starts.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty.<strong>

The pill they gave me didn't work.

I'm pregnant.

At the ripe old age of twenty three.

What can I offer a baby? Security? Stability?

Dimitri's face is grave as he watches me like I'm a ticking time bomb.

Probably because I haven't reacted yet.

No screaming.

No hysterical tears.

No anger.

I'm just… _blank_.

Like it hasn't quite sunk in yet.

I can't raise a baby on my own. God knows, I didn't even want kids in the first place.

What am I supposed to do now?

I don't even know which one of those monsters is the father.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty One.<strong>

I can't organise my thoughts.

It's been another two weeks, and the morning sickness is in full flow.

Dimitri has actually moved in, which is crazy because we barely know each other.

But I have more than enough room, and I sleep easier at night knowing he's here.

We've grown closer, but he never does anything to show that he's interested in me _that_ way.

And really, he has no reason to be. I'm a moroi, seven years his junior, pregnant, and living off my inheritance.

But sometimes… sometimes, he looks at me, and I know that there's something more.

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><p><strong>Good night guys! I'll be back first thing in the morning to update the remaining chapters :) xx<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Guys, I'm trying not to sound petty but can you **_please_ read the starting A.N. in the first chapter? **I've kept the others brief, but that one contained information that you are asking about in your reviews.** Yep, Rose is a moroi. That was stated at the start.**

**I've deliberately been vague about who 'they' are. Rose keeps referring to 'them', and I promise that it'll be revealed sooner than you think. For now, just keep pondering the options. So far, we've only heard about Rose, Dimitri, Lissa and Christian.**

Danielle – Yup she is. Eddie has been alluded to, the clues are there if you re-read certain chapters. The answer to that part of your question will be revealed in the next chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Two.<strong>

The hormones are playing complete and utter _havoc_ with my body.

But then again, I'm only two months pregnant, and so it could just be my fluctuating emotions.

One minute I'm horny, the next I feel disgusted with myself for fantasising about Dimitri.

But it's been months since I've been touched in a loving manner. Even before the incident, Eddie and I hadn't really been _together_.

So when I bump into Dimitri as he's leaving the bathroom, and he only has a towel wrapped around his waist, you can't blame me for getting a little hot under the collar… right?

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Three.<strong>

I decide to go for it.

To kiss Dimitri.

In another hour… or two.

Fear threatens to suffocate me every time I think about it for too long, and that alone should be enough to put me off, but it's something I need to do.

I need to settle the war that's being waged in my head.

And this kiss, this kiss will let me know whether I hit my head too hard that night and the concussion sent me loopy, or if, despite everything that's happened… I did hit my head too hard _but_ my feelings are actually genuine.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Four.<strong>

"Roza, wh-"

Shock fills Dimitri's voice as I sit down on his lap, wrap my arms around his neck and after taking a deep, calming breath, crush my mouth to his.

He freezes and I squeeze my eyes shut, but keep my lips pressed against his own as I tangle my fingers into the ends of his hair.

If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right.

And just as I'm about to give up and stop, his lips move under mine tentatively, and his arms lift to wrap around my waist and gently pull me closer.

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><p><strong>So I ended up staying awake for another two hours and felt that I would post another chapter because I'm nice like that. :D And it's now nearly 3am. O.o <strong>

**But I hope you enjoyed that impromptu update. I'm actually off to bed this time. Night guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Good morning everyone! How are you feeling today? Let's see what happens after that kiss... The main question that's been asked is answered with this chapter, so read on!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Five.<strong>

I'm thrilled to find that my body reacts positively to Dimitri kissing me back, but then it becomes too much.

His hands skim down along my sides lightly, almost reverentially, and my body shivers, but this time, not from desire.

I pull away and Dimitri's image morphs; chestnut brown hair changes to sandy blond, then brown, red, a deeper brown, and finally to bronze. Chocolate brown eyes shift to hazel, then emerald green, pale blue, deep, dark brown, and then to brighter blue.

The faces of my five violators stare across at me in turn.

_Eddie._

_Adrian._

_Mason._

_Ambrose._

_Jesse._

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Six.<strong>

I know that I can't do this, not yet.

Dimitri brings me to life, and though that kiss proved that I _do_ feel something for him, I just can't.

So it's with a heavy heart that I push him away.

Make him pack up his stuff, and throw out all the memories.

Until I'm left here, alone once again, to cry and wallow in my misery.

He understands, or at least he says he does, and that he's there for me if I need him.

I do need him, but I also need to do this for myself, _by_ myself.

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><p><strong>This update is only two chapters long because I somehow counted wrong and screwed it up. It's not flowing the way I want to, so by only putting two chapters here, it should run 'to schedule'. The rest will be 3 chapters, until we reach the final one which will be super long :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh my gosh! I just realised that I have been a VERY bad author!**

**Everlasting thanks to Little-Angry-Kitten and Georgia for pre-reading this fic when I was worrying and making sure I didn't go off the rails with it. I am so sorry I didn't say thank you at the start!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Seven.<strong>

_Dear Lucky,_

_It's been a day since I pushed Dimitri away, and things haven't improved much._

_My heart still hurts - it's even worse than the pain I felt _that_ night, when they forced themselves on me. I can write about it now. _

_And I took Dimitri's advice. _

_I see the psychiatrist on Tuesday._

_But I don't feel dirty anymore. At least, not as much as I used to._

_And I know it's because of Dimitri, but I can't ask him to take me back just yet. He deserves someone… better. _

_Someone who's his equal, and right now?.._

_That's not me._

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Eight.<strong>

_Dear Lucky,_

_Three days now… and my heart still hurts._

_It's the opposite of the way I felt after the incident. Then, I felt better as each day passed, stronger as the pain faded._

_Now I feel like I want to cry with each passing moment, and I don't know if it's because I'm missing him, or if it's because my hormones are having a field day._

_I can see the starting's of a bump, and excitement fills me. _

_But then I remember that Dimitri's not here anymore, and I'm too scared to go and find him to show him._

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Nine.<strong>

_Dear Lucky,_

_I went to see Lissa. It's taken me two months, but I did it!_

_The memories of what had happened the last time I saw her had been holding me back._

_But I missed her, and my counsellor said it would be good. So I bit the bullet, and went for it._

_She couldn't believe her eyes, and cried a little once she got over the shock of me being there._

_But we're back on track now. I was a little jittery around Christian, but after he cracked a few jokes, we fell back into our old routine._

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><p><strong>In case anyone's confused, 'Lucky' is the name of Rose's diary.<strong>

**Next update in a couple of hours xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**This update is later than expected because I got a bit caught up in town, so the next one will be in an hour and a half. :) Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty.<strong>

_Dear Lucky,_

_It's been a week. I saw Dimitri today, and he saw me too._

_He was at the front desk with Hans when I turned up to say that I wanted to press charges. I talked with Lissa, and again with my counsellor in my second session, and I realised that I don't want _them _to get away with their crime._

_Though he didn't say anything because he was working, I swear I saw approval flash in his eyes as he dealt with another problem. _

_I'm going to do it. _

_I'm going to send those five monsters to hell._

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty One.<strong>

_Dear Lucky,_

_I can't stop crying. _

_The nightmares came back worse than ever last night._

_I've had them every day since Dimitri left, but they've been flashbacks more than anything else… I think the counselling has helped more than I thought it would._

_But last night was awful._

_I found Dimitri, and I tried to ask him to take me back._

_But he pushed me away, and God, the look on his face… it wasn't the man I knew. _

_He'd been cruel and cold. And then he'd pinned me down and let them take me repeatedly... before doing it himself._

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Two.<strong>

_Dear Lucky, _

_I cried all day yesterday after that goddamned nightmare, but Lissa came round because I hadn't answered my phone._

_And somehow, she managed to understand my disjointed, choked-up sentences, and made me see sense._

"Go."

"What?"

She handed me another tissue, stood up, and then pulled me to my feet.

"Despite your protests, you care about him, Rose. Go find him, and prove your nightmare wrong. He's there for you, and willing to stand by you."

At my disbelieving expression she'd snapped her fingers at me and sighed impatiently.

"Now, missy! He's not gonna wait another ten days!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Thirty Three.**

_Bite the bullet, Rose, bite the bullet…_

When I walk into the guardian quarters, almost everyone stops, looks, and then smiles knowingly at me.

"He's upstairs. Second floor, fourth door on the left. Maybe now you're here he'll stop alternating between moping and gushing about you."

The guardian with a sharp bob and hazel eyes smiles kindly at me, before shoving me gently.

"Tell him Alberta said that he's a pansy for not manning up. It's shameful that you had to come all the way out here while he sulks in his room."

"While _who_ sulks in their room, Alberta?"

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Four.<strong>

Stupidly, my heart does a little leap in my chest at the sound of his voice, and I spin to see Dimitri on the bottom step of the stairs, his eyebrows quirked questioningly at Alberta.

He's in an old sweatshirt, one that I recognise from washing several times, and tracksuit bottoms, with a towel slung over one shoulder.

_It's Wednesday, idiot. He always works out on a Wednesday evening!_

"I'll come back when you're not busy."

"Roza," He chuckles. "Stop stalling and avoiding me." He motions for me to follow him up the stairs. "We can talk in my room."

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Five.<strong>

I giggle as Dimitri pointedly leaves the door open.

"They're all a huge bunch of gossips. The last thing we need is a series of rumours about me ravishing you senseless behind closed doors."

I laugh properly at the suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, and my nerves ease.

Dimitri has a way of relaxing me without me even realising it.

"So, Roza. Why are you here?"

"I need you, Dimitri." Shock flitters across his features, along with another expression I can't place. "I was silly to push you away, but I realised that, and I'm sorry. I want you back."

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><p><strong>Better? :)<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirty Six.**

"In my life."

It's tacked on at the end because I didn't mean to make it sound like something more than what it really was.

But Dimitri's grinning like a fool, so I don't think he actually registered those last three words.

"Do you want me back because of my extraordinary jam making skills, or because-"

Once again, I cut him off, by lunging forwards and pressing my lips to his.

This time, his reaction is faster, and he cups my face softly as he kisses me back.

"Because I miss you, and I care about you."

He grins. "Deal."

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Seven.<strong>

"I need to take things slowly."

"I know."

"And it could be a long time before I'm ready to take _that_ step."

"Okay."

Dimitri's eyes are wide and sincere as I tell him about my progress.

I know my limits, and I want him to know them too, before we get in too deep.

"And I'm scared about the court case."

His hand finds mine, and he tugs me onto his lap, leaving me to pull his arms around my waist when I feel ready.

"You don't need to be. I'll be right beside you."

I grin. "My lucky charm?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Eight.<strong>

True to his word, Dimitri stays by my side, except for the moments when we're on the witness stand. Me, as the victim, and him as the first person on the scene.

They're all sentenced to time in Tarasov for indecent and aggravated sexual assault, and for conspiracy to participate in sexual assault.

Eddie is sentenced to ten years since he was the head conspirator. That knowledge made me feel sick.

Mason and Ambrose get five years.

Adrian and Jesse get off the lightest with eighteen months, but that's to be expected because they're moroi and royal.

Finally, I feel _free_.

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><p><strong>Okay, so that last one was 101 words :( I really couldn't figure out how to cut that final word. <strong>

**One last chapter, and then this story is over! :'( I think you'll enjoy the ending though… ;) It'll be up in a few hours' time!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Good morning! *sigh* As per usual, fanfiction is messing up with perfect timing. After staying up til stupid o'clock, last night I couldn't get into the doc manager, hence why this final chapter is so delayed.**

**Grrrr.**

I apologise, and hope that you enjoy it now, despite the fact that it's over a day late.

**A nice long final chapter because it sucked to cut this one up. It's almost as long as the other chapters combined! :O It has a nice heavy dose of fluff and of course, the lemon that you've all waited for so patiently!**

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><p><em>Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer. ~Author Unknown<em>

_You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. ~Walt Disney_

**Chapter Thirty Nine.**

**_(One year later.)_**

Dimitri's fingers follow the curves of my body, slipping over the silk of my dress before he carefully undoes the pearl buttons on the back, as he hums with contentment. He's only in his boxers, but refuses to allow me to undress him any further.

"You're beautiful. And _so_ _sexy_ in that lingerie."

I giggle and slap his hands away.

"I am not."

My breasts are huge, my hips wider than they were a year ago, my stomach still wobbly and still tender, slightly swollen from the burden of carrying our children.

"Yes, you are, Mrs. Belikov."

I choke down a laugh and go to protest, but with a move that's reminiscent of our first kiss, Dimitri leans up and presses his lips to mine, silencing my arguments.

"You're beautiful, caring, and glowing with motherhood."

His mouth leaves mine to trail a path of hot, wet kisses down the side of my neck before ghosting around to the top of my cleavage. Then he glances up at me.

"You're so beautiful, Roza, and incredibly brave."

He straightens out so that our faces are level before leaning down to rest his forehead against mine.

"I love you, and I'm so proud of you."

Tears well up in my eyes, but I quickly blink them back. "I love you too. And I'm only like this because of you," My fingers tangle into the ends of his hair as I remember all the good memories we've built up over the past fifteen months. "Without you, I would have died that night. Without you, I wouldn't have been strong enough to carry on living if I had been found in time. I probably would have killed myself."

Alarm, but also understanding fill Dimitri's eyes as he kisses my lips softly. "But you didn't. All I did was give you a shoulder to lean on, Roza. You held yourself up. Despite your self-perceptions, you're an amazing lady, and our children are incredibly lucky to have you as their mother."

Right on cue, a gurgle and a wail sound from the baby monitor.

Dimitri chuckles. "It was foolish to hope they'd sleep through the night because it's our wedding night, wasn't it?"

I giggle and push against his chest so that he'll let me sit up fully.

"Which one do you want to take this time?"

He listens to the wails and gurgles for a few more moments before making his decision. "It sounds like Kaden's the one crying, so he's probably hungry. Nadia sounds like she's been woken up by the noise and is bored."

I smile and lean into his chest as we leave our bedroom and walk into the babies room. They usually sleep in our room so we know they're safe, but tonight we wanted a little privacy. "Kaden is always hungry."

Dimitri chuckles and beams proudly. "That's because he's a growing boy. He knows that he's going to need to grow up big and strong so he can take on any strigoi who might be unfortunate enough to cross paths with him."

I try to cock an eyebrow questioningly, but fail. "And Nadia won't?"

"She's moroi, Roza. Despite the fact that she'll be brought up in a household where both moroi and dhampirs are equal, outside of the house, she and Kaden will be poles apart. I'm not going to spoil her, but at the same time, I'm not going to lead them under false pretences. We're going to teach them both how to fight and to protect themselves, but it's highly unlikely that she will ever have to take on a strigoi. Unfortunately, it's the likely path for Kaden."

I stick my tongue out at his back as he leans over the cot and lifts Nadia into the air, before cradling her against his chest.

"Hey, baby girl. Tell your mother it's not polite of her to stick her tongue out at me when I'm not looking."

Nadia blinks up at him with huge emerald eyes, ones that are a carbon copy of her father's, before she gurgles and stretches a chubby hand out to touch the strands of his hair that came loose beforehand.

Kaden stops crying the instant he's safely in my arms, his wide blue eyes like Mason's filled with unshed tears.

"What's wrong, little guy?" Like most parents, I can help the coo that leaves my lips when I talk to them.

Dimitri's murmuring something in Russian to Nadia as he rocks her back to sleep, and I settle into the chair next to the crib as I feed Kaden.

They're both beautiful, happy and healthy six month olds.

And despite the fact that they were conceived in a terrible situation, now that I have them, I wouldn't trade them for anything.

I was incredibly grateful to whoever was looking down upon me for not making me suffer through having Eddie's baby. He doesn't deserve to be a father. None of them did, but I'd rather have children from two of the idiots who were drunk or high, rather than a malicious man who decided gang rape was the best thing to get me to loosen up and realise how 'lucky I was to be with him'.

They both have my dark hair, and that's really all that shows they're related. I sigh as the truth of Dimitri's words hit me.

"Have I ever mentioned that I hate it when you're right?"

He chuckles as he presses a soft kiss to Nadia's plump cheek before placing her sleeping body back into her cot and pulls the covers up to her chest.

"Several times. But you've also mentioned that you secretly love it too."

I shake my head to hide my smile, and then my attention is captured by Kaden who's finished feeding.

His eyes droop as I place him against my chest and rub his back firmly so he doesn't get an upset stomach. Dimitri grimaces, as if remembering _that_ weekend, where Kaden screamed the house down because of his trapped wind.

Neither of us wants to go through that experience again anytime soon.

Kaden lets out a sleepy burp, and I place him into his cot, alongside his sister. They're both so peaceful and innocent, sleeping there unawares of the terrors that life may have in store for them.

As if sensing my distress, Dimitri takes my hand and rubs small circles into my palm. "They'll be fine, Roza. We won't let anything happen to them."

"I know, I just-"

His fingers cover my mouth softly as he leads me back into our bedroom. "Not tonight. Tomorrow, you can worry to your heart's content." He kisses my fingertips and leads me over to the bed so he can lie down and tug me next to him. "We don't have to do anything, but let's just enjoy being together. It's been so hectic since the twins have been born, we deserve this time."

I smile and then kiss his lips lightly. "I don't want to wait any longer though."

Tonight's the night.

We haven't consummated our relationship before now, because I wasn't ready to take that step, but after today, after pledging my life to the man in front of me, I know with every fibre of my being that it's the right time.

"Are you sure?"

Dimitri's hesitant, rightfully so, and I smile.

"Yes. Tell me what you told me earlier."

Deep, dark eyes find mine once again. "I'm going to make love to you, Roza."

And he does.

Dimitri's fingers carefully remove my dressing gown and then the lingerie from my body, stroking, tempting, and teasing my sensitive skin as he does so.

Murmured Russian whispers slip from between his lips as he caresses me gently, drawing soft pants from my throat as I reach out to try and draw him closer.

But he makes me wait, and in a distant part of my mind, I'm grateful. His slow, loving touches remove the final taint on my body, the one that I've been able to feel ever since I was violated.

"I was raped."

Pride shines in Dimitri's eyes as I finally admit it out loud, and the last of my bonds break away.

"You were, but I promise that I will never let anything like that happen to you again."

I nod and smile up at him peacefully.

"I know. But I'm not scared anymore Dimitri. I'm sure I'll be nervous when Adrian and Jesse are released, and again when the others are too, but they don't have the hold over me that they did before. This is _my_ life, and I'm not going to let them ruin it any more than they already have."

"You're incredible, Roza. The strength you have… I'm so proud to call you my wife."

"I'm even prouder to call you my husband, in _every_ sense of the word." Our lips meet again briefly, but then I break away. "Please, Dimitri. I'm ready."

He gazes into my eyes, seeing nothing but assurance and then nods, a smile pulling at his own lips as I finally remove his boxers.

"Make love to me, Dimitri."

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><p>Dimitri is incredibly gentle as he eases me onto my back and kisses away my fears.<p>

His mouth worships my body, caressing me with tender pecks and little nips that make me squirm and moan for more of his touch, while his fingers lightly explore the parts of me that I've always kept hidden from view.

I'm completely bare, we both are, and I don't feel any apprehension.

Just overpowering love.

My arms reach out for him; my whispers letting him know that I'm more than ready to finally become his, in every way.

Dimitri finally trails back up and along my body, planting soft kisses along the way until he reaches my lips, and my fingers twine into his hair, holding him level with me so I can kiss him back.

Our mouths part and meet, slowly at first, but then more quickly as his tongue touches mine. He lets out a deep groan and the mere sound sends my body into overdrive and I moan in response.

It's all the encouragement he needs and a little thrill runs through me as he breaks away from my lips to stare into my eyes.

_This is it._

"I love you, Roza."

His voice is soft, matching his eyes as his lips ghost across my cheeks and he nudges my legs a little further apart.

He hesitates, and I answer his unspoken question by lifting my leg to wrap around his waist.

"I'm sure. I love you, Dimitri, and I trust you."

Our lips meet again, just softly once more, and then I feel as his large body move over mine, as he begins to enter me.

It's a beautiful sensation, to become one with the one you love, but my hips buck impatiently as I try to get him to move faster.

My other leg lifts to wrap around his waist, causing a soft groan to leave Dimitri's lips as he drives even further into my body, and his head falls forwards to rest in the crook of my neck as he pulls away and then pushes forwards a little harder than before.

My hands trail down his back before gripping at his hips as he thrusts into me again, the combined buck of my hips causing him to fill me completely as he buries himself to the hilt.

"Roza," Dimitri's voice is a breathless gasp as he pulls back and thrusts into me again, and my hands slide up to grip at the corded muscle of his back as he sets up a slightly faster pace, as he drives all the way forwards each time.

My body shakes and threatens to explode as I clutch at him tightly, not wanting to reach my climax so quickly, but remembering the bliss that'll come hand in hand with my orgasm.

"Roza, God, I'm sorry, but I'm so…" Dimitri's voice trails off as he groans and drives into my body a little harder, and my walls flutter threateningly.

"I am too. Don't st-" My pleas are cut off when Dimitri reaches down between us to tease at my clit with his fingers.

My breathing grows harsh as I try to fight against the feelings that threaten to course through my body, and then stars shatter behind my eyelids as my walls convulse and clamp around him, drawing a soft groan from Dimitri's throat as he trembles and releases in me.

Dimitri's body lowers until it's pressed against mine, and we lie like that for a few moments as our breathing evens out and the aftershocks of our orgasms slowly fade.

Before he becomes too heavy, Dimitri rolls off of me, his arms wrapping around my waist as he does so that I'm curled up at his side.

"I love you and I always will, you know that?"

Dimitri chuckles as his dark eyes stare into mine and he nods. "I do. I love you too, and I hope you never forget that."

"I won't." I smile and press my lips to his, relishing in the tenderness as he kisses me back. I press another kiss to his chin, and then nestle in to his chest, security wrapping around me when he pulls me even closer.

Dimitri's care and love has driven away the memories of being hit and beaten, of having my dignity stripped away with my clothes, and of having my body sullied and dirtied.

I feel beautiful.

I feel worthy.

I feel loved.

And I feel incredibly lucky.

_Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known. ~Garrison Keillor_

_He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction. ~Bessie Stanley, 1905, commonly misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson._

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><p><strong>So there you have it, the final chapter of Ten days and a little… Luck. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read, review, favourite or alert this little fic. I hope you enjoyed it and would love to hear your final thoughts on Rose, Dimitri and their journey.<strong>

**Check out the banner that was made for this fic and make sure to check out the Drabble War Community. (Just remove the spaces from the links below).**

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**Bye for now!**

**Nicia xx**


	15. Chapter 15

I am sick and tired of people telling me that what I wrote in the last chapter wasn't true. It **IS** possible for a woman to have children from **two different men at the same time**.

Just to clear things up for any readers who might have thought the same thing, I have not, and will not make things up in my stories, unless the genre and background I set it in permits me to do so, e.g. with fantasy and supernatural. If I was going to make something up, I would put an author's note that lets you know it's not a real phenomenon. I admit, I'm guilty of doing the whole 'Rose was somehow the first dhampir to be able to conceive from another dhampir' concept when I first started writing, but that's very common and practically canon. And even back then, I made sure to fully research any other concepts I used, like this one. Rape, Heteropaternal superfecundation, AIDS, leukaemia, perfect pitch, gynaecology, all the topics I use that are real are researched. And I find it highly offensive that you'd accuse me of not doing so.

Thank you very much to anonymous reviewer 'It's real' for backing me up and actually doing some research. :) *big hugs to you*

To the other anonymous reviewers I can't reply to who think I'm lying, if a woman can't have more than one child at a time, how do you explain **non-identical twins?**

In those cases, two eggs are released during ovulation and fertilised. So if that happened to Rose, and she was gang-raped, there's a high chance that she would have conceived from two different men, regardless of the fact that one was moroi and one was dhampir. Sperm is sperm.

In case you still think I'm lying, here are some articles of it happening in real life. There are more out there, these are just a couple of examples where it's happened. Check out the links I've posted or don't, it's your call. But next time, before you go accusing me of making things up, actual have a quick search online or in a book to make sure you're not way off base.

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><p>Heteropaternal Superfecundation - Twins with Different Fathers from: (remove the spaces) <strong>h t t p : multiples .about .com /od/ funfacts /a/ Heteropaternal. h t m**

Can Twins Have Two Different Fathers?

**Twins are defined as "...two young who are simultaneously born from one mother."** (_Encyclopedia Britannica_). Note that the definition only refers to the mother. But what about fathers?

As technology has improved the accuracy and accessibility of genetic testing, it has become more evident that twins can have two different fathers. The situation only applies to fraternal (dizygotic) twins, not identical (monozygotic) twins, which form from a single egg/sperm combination.

However, fraternal twins are the result of hyperovulation, the release of multiple eggs in a single cycle. Superfecundation describes a situation where the eggs are fertilized by sperm from separate incidences of sexual intercourse. In a case where a woman has sex with different partners, the twins could have different fathers. The appropriate term to describe this situation is heteropaternal superfecundation.

This situation can also occur when twins are the result of fertility treatments, for example the case of Koen and Tuen Stuart, Dutch boys who were the result of IVF (in vitro fertilization). In a mixup at the lab, equipment had been used twice, causing another man's sperm to be mixed with the father's.

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><p>Mother Gives Birth To Twins With Different Fathers, US from: <strong>h t t p : www. Medicalnewstoday .com /articles /150463 .p h p**

**11-month old Dallas-born twins Justin and Jordan have different fathers, a phenomenon known as heteropaternal superfecundation that is so rare there are only a handful of documented cases in the world.  
><strong>  
>Their parents Mia Washington and her fiancée James Harrison went public with their news last week when they contacted FOX4 to tell their story.<p>

Admitting she was having an affair with another man at the time the twins were conceived, Washington said she was shocked that it had happened to her:

"I have twins, but they're by different fathers," she told the TV news company.

Washington and Harrison noticed that the twins had different facial features and decided to have a paternity test. They went to Dallas DNA Lab Clear Diagnostics who said they had never seen a result like this before and that there was a 99.999 per cent chance that Justin and Jordan were fathered by different men.

The highly probable result is that Jordan is Harrison's biological son and Justin's biological father is the man Washington had an affair with.

Lab Clear Diagnostics' president Genny Thibodeaux described the news as "very crazy", and "most people don't believe it can happen".

Dr Chris Dreiling, from the Paediatric Association of Dallas, who has not met the family, told Fox News that a woman can release more than one egg during ovulation, and if she has intercourse with more than one partner at around that time, then sperm from different partners can fertilize each egg:

"Because sperm cells take a while to travel and eggs take a while to travel there can be an overlap," said Dreiling, explaining that it was a very rare event and likely to be "the only time that we will ever see this occur in the city of Dallas".

Harrison said he will bring up the two boys as his own. He said he has forgiven his fiancée and promised to stay with her…. (There's more, but it's about them staying together and making it work which isn't relevant.)

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><p>That's the end of my little rant. If it's put you off reading my work, so be it. I don't appreciate being told that I'm making things up. For those of you who enjoyed this story and let me know your thoughts, thank you. For those of you who didn't understand the concept in the final chapter and only commented on that, go do some research.<p> 


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